TRADING Standards in Brent is calling on householders to help track down the latest round of charity scammers, touting house to house for second hand clothing and textiles.
Using flyers that carry a logo suspiciously close to The British Heart Foundation's, the scammers ask households to leave out sacks of clothing and textiles, promising to contribute to charity.
The scammers claim to be collecting on behalf of a ‘British Charity Foundation' and in support of work on heart and circulatory disease. A Google search produces no record of a ‘British Charity Foundation'.
The flyer is even vague about the donation to charity, saying the collectors ‘make a minimum contribution of 2000 to the project', without any sterling currency sign to signify money.
There are also claims to be creating employment and work for UK export and transport companies.
Bill Bilon, director of Trading Standards, said: "Householders could help us track down these people if they take a note of the registration number of any vehicles collecting or delivering, without putting themselves at risk by confronting anybody.
"This has been confirmed to us as a scam. The company named on the flyers is in liquidation. There have been numerous complaints to us and other trading standards services.
"Items that go to these people could be going to help genuine charities raise money. Householders would no doubt think twice about giving to this collection if they knew there was little chance of any charity benefiting."
